Why taking a BREAK for REFLECTION helps build INFLUENCE (Episode 174)

<p><b>Why taking a BREAK for REFLECTION helps build INFLUENCE </b></p> <p>THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:</p> <p>As we prepare to close the book on 2021 with this last She Said/She Said podcast of the year, like so many of you, I’m taking a break to recharge. But before I take off, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the importance of self-reflection, recharging, setting the stage for goal setting, and why investing in ourselves — when those efforts are focused on growth — is the opposite of selfish. </p> <p> </p> <p>KEY TOPICS:</p> <p>WHY WE NEED TO BUILD IN TIME TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON: Breaks are essential, especially when we are really pushing ourselves. When we don’t build in that time, the quality of the work — whatever it is — suffers. </p> <p>WHY INVESTING TIME IN YOU DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SELFISH: Taking a break is “self-investment” in the form of refueling. It helps us build capacity to be the person we need to be to fulfill our mission and purpose, to add value to the world, and to do the things that are important to us. We’re much more likely to accomplish those things when we build in some time for recovery. </p> <p>MY PROCESS FOR YEAR END SELF-REFLECTION: In this episode, I talk about the process I’ve used for more than a decade as part of a personal year end evaluation. The process looks back at all 52 weeks, and how I’ve performed in several key areas. This exercise sets the stage for the goal setting I’ll do at the start of the new year. As I initiated this year’s review, it also led to some important takeaways that I included in our <a href="https://shesaidshesaidpodcast.com/2021/12/17/newsletter-happy-holidays-a-few-things-we-learned-in-2021/">2021 Year End Newsletter. </a> </p> <p>INVESTING IN YOURSELF HELPS YOU BUILD INFLUENCE: Investing in ourselves in ways that focus on personal growth and development is key, but it requires time for reflection. It’s why podcasts like this one and engaging our curiosity so that we are always learning, gaining insight, and challenging ourselves is so important. </p> <p>The